From a county-level lecture hall to a nationally renowned teacher

一

On the last day of August 2010, Lin Zhiyuan stood on the podium of Class 3, Grade 1.

This is his sixth year at Yucai Middle School. He has seen two graduating classes go by and welcomed another batch of new students. The classroom is on the third floor, with a south-facing window that offers views of the playground and the distant mountains. The curtains are newly changed, a light blue color, swaying gently in the breeze. The desks are new, without any carvings, graffiti, or even a scratch.

The students below were more active than he had expected. Sixty people, sixty pairs of eyes—some were looking at him, some were looking out the window, and some were whispering to their deskmates. A boy sat in the last row, his hair dyed brown, wearing an earring, and was looking at something on his phone. Lin Zhiyuan didn't stop him—it was the first class, and he didn't want to be too strict.

"Hello students, my surname is Lin, I am your Chinese teacher and also your homeroom teacher." He wrote his name and mobile phone number on the blackboard. "From today onwards, we are all one family."

The students below didn't react. It wasn't disrespect, but rather a lack of familiarity. City kids are different from county kids; they won't applaud just because the teacher says something emotional. They need time to observe you, judge you, and decide whether to trust you.

Lin Zhiyuan wasn't in a hurry. He had three years.

He walked around the classroom, memorizing every face. When he reached the third row, he stopped and looked at a girl. She was very pretty, with chestnut-brown hair styled in large curls, big eyes, and long eyelashes. She was wearing a designer T-shirt and a very expensive-looking watch on her wrist.

"What's your name?"

"Teacher Lin, my name is Shen Siqi."

"Which one?"

"The character '思' (si) means 'to think.' '琪' (qi) is composed of the radical '王' (wang) plus the character '其实' (qi)."

Lin Zhiyuan nodded and memorized the name. Shen Siqi was an excellent student, ranking among the top fifty in the city in the high school entrance exam. Her father was a real estate developer in the city, and her mother was a housewife. Her name was listed in the remarks column of the student roster as "Parents hope their child will get into Tsinghua or Peking University."

He walked back to the podium, picked up the chalk, and wrote four words on the blackboard: Start from scratch.

"No matter how many points you scored on the high school entrance exam, no matter which school you came from, from today onwards, everything starts from scratch. The three years of high school are a blank sheet of paper. What you draw on it will become what it is."

He paused, looking at the sixty faces below.

"Alright, that's all I have to say. Now, let's begin the lesson."

two

In mid-September, Lin Zhiyuan received a phone call.

It was Su Hang's mother calling.

"Teacher Lin, Su Hang is going to teach in a rural area."

"Where to?"

"XZ. He says he's going to be gone for a year. We can't persuade him otherwise, could you please help us talk to him?"

Lin Zhiyuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Mother Su Hang, do you want me to persuade him not to go, or do you want me to agree to him going?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Teacher Lin, it's not that we don't support him. We're just worried about him. XZ is so far away, and the conditions are so harsh. He's never experienced hardship before, and we're afraid he won't be able to handle it."

"Su Hang's mother, do you remember when Su Hang was in her senior year of high school, she considered dropping out of school and going to XZ?"

"I remember. We were terrified back then."

"He didn't go in the end. He finished the college entrance exam and got into Tsinghua University. But he always wanted to go to XZ. Why do you think he wanted to go?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"He's looking for something," Lin Zhiyuan said. "Looking for himself. Let him go. He'll come back. And when he comes back, he'll be a different Suzhou and Hangzhou."

Su Hang's mother remained silent for a long time before saying, "Teacher Lin, let's think about it again."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Zhiyuan sent Su Hang a text message: "Your parents are worried about you. You should call them more often."

Su Hang replied, "Teacher Lin, I will. Thank you."

three

In early October, Shen Siqi came to see Lin Zhiyuan.

"Ms. Lin, I would like to request a change of seat."

Why?

"I don't want to sit with Wang Haoran."

Wang Haoran was the last in the class. He slept in class, didn't hand in his homework, and always smelled of cigarettes. Shen Siqi felt a bit wronged sitting next to him.

"Who would you like to sit with?"

I want to sit alone.

Lin Zhiyuan looked at her. Her expression was calm, but there was impatience in her eyes—the kind of impatience that is unique to rich girls, the kind that is not used to being on equal footing with ordinary people.

"Shen Siqi, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Wang Haoran's grades aren't good, but he's not a bad person. If you sit next to him, you can help him out."

"Why should I help him?" Her tone was tinged with disdain.

"Because you are classmates."

Shen Siqi looked at him, her eyes holding something indescribable.

"Teacher Lin, are you this kind to everyone?"

"It's not good for everyone. It's fair to everyone."

Shen Siqi lowered her head, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Then I won't change seats."

Are you sure?

"Okay. I'll try to help him."

Shen Siqi left. Lin Zhiyuan sat in his chair, watching her retreating figure, and thought of Zhao Xiaoman. The same family background, the same spoiled princess temperament. Zhao Xiaoman changed later; she became warmer, more caring. He didn't know if Shen Siqi would change, but he was willing to try.

four

In mid-October, He Xiaohe sent a letter from Beijing.

The letter was long, four pages long. She said that Beijing Normal University's campus was very large, the library had many books, and the food in the cafeteria was very cheap. She said she had made a good friend from a rural area in Hunan, and the two got along very well. She said she had joined the school's literary society, whose journal was called "North Wind," and they were preparing for the first issue.

"Teacher Lin, I'm in the literary society now, just like you were in the Morning Sail club at the county's No. 1 Middle School. Every time I participate in an activity, I think of you. I remember you writing the two characters 'Morning Sail' on the blackboard, you reading poems to us, and you saying 'Chinese is not just about exams'."

Lin Zhiyuan smiled when he read this passage. He recalled those days: the dilapidated classroom, the dozen or so students, the mimeographed handwritten newspapers, and the literature books that were lent out one by one. He thought those days were over, but he didn't expect them to still be there. In He Xiaohe's heart, in Chen Yutong's heart, and in Zhou Haitao's heart.

At the end of the letter, He Xiaohe wrote: "Teacher Lin, I also want to start a literary society in the future. It will still be called Chenfan."

Lin Zhiyuan put the letter in the drawer, along with the old ones. The drawer was already quite full, and he had to clear out some unimportant things to make room for new letters. From Zhou Haitao to He Xiaohe, one class after another, letter after letter. His drawer was getting fuller and fuller, just like his heart.

五

In mid-November, Lin Zhiyuan made a home visit.

We went to Wang Haoran's house. Wang Haoran's parents sell vegetables at the market, getting up at three in the morning and not closing until eight at night. They live in a rented room behind the market, less than thirty square meters, where the three of them squeeze together.

When Lin Zhiyuan arrived, Wang Haoran wasn't home. His mother was chopping vegetables, her hands covered in cuts and chafing. She paused for a moment when she saw Lin Zhiyuan, then wiped her hands on her apron.

"Teacher Lin, has Haoran gotten into trouble again?"

"No. I just came to take a look."

Wang Haoran's mother poured him a glass of water. The glass was plastic and had "GG" printed on it. She sat opposite him, her hands on her knees, looking as nervous as a primary school student.

"Teacher Lin, Haoran has never liked studying since he was little. We've never been to school either, so we can't help him. Please take good care of him at school."

"Wang Haoran doesn't dislike studying. He lacks confidence. He feels he can't learn it, so he gives up."

"What should we do?" Wang Haoran's mother's eyes reddened.

"Encourage him more. Don't scold him or hit him. No matter what score he gets, say 'Not bad, you've improved.' He'll gradually gain confidence."

"It's that simple?"

"It's that simple."

Wang Haoran's mother nodded and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

Just as Lin Zhiyuan left, Wang Haoran returned. He was carrying a bag of groceries and froze when he saw Lin Zhiyuan.

"Teacher Lin? What brings you here?"

"Come see your mom."

Wang Haoran's expression changed. He lowered his head, not daring to look Lin Zhiyuan in the eye.

"Wang Haoran, don't be nervous. I'm not here to complain. I just want to tell you that your mother works very hard. It's okay if you don't want to study, but don't make her worry."

Wang Haoran looked up, his eyes reddening.

"Teacher Lin, I understand."

六

In December, Su Hang went to XZ.

He sent Lin Zhiyuan a photo. In the photo, he was standing in front of the Potala Palace, wearing a windbreaker, his face tanned dark, but smiling happily.

"Teacher Lin, I've arrived in LS. The sky here is very high, and the clouds are very white. I want to stay here for a year. I'll send you photos often."

Lin Zhiyuan replied: "Take care of yourself. Don't catch a cold."

Su Hang replied, "Teacher Lin, you're still so long-winded."

Lin Zhiyuan smiled. He remembered Su Hang sitting on the riverbank during their senior year of high school, and the calm yet resolute tone in his voice when he said, "I want to go to XZ." He finally went. Not out of escape, but in search. Did he find it? Lin Zhiyuan didn't know. But he believed Su Hang would find it.

Seven

December 31st, the last day of 2010.

Lin Zhiyuan sat in his study, flipping through the year's diary. January: He Xiaohe said she wanted to take the entrance exam for Peking University. March: Su Hang said she wanted to go to XZ. April: Chen Yutong published her second book. June: He Xiaohe scored 631 points and got into Beijing Normal University. July: Su Hang went to XZ. September: Shen Siqi said she wouldn't sit next to Wang Haoran. October: He Xiaohe said she wanted to start a literary society at Beijing Normal University. November: Visited Wang Haoran's home. December: Su Hang was in LS.

This year has been filled with joy, regret, farewells, and reunions. He closed his diary, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling.

Little Siqi ran in and climbed onto his lap: "Daddy, tell me a story."

"What story should I tell?"

"Tell me about Snow White."

Lin Zhiyuan held his daughter in his arms, opened the fairy tale book, and began to read. He read slowly, word by word. Little Siqi listened attentively, her eyes shining like two stars.

Su Wanqing walked in, sat down on the chair next to him, and listened to him read.

"Dad, will I grow up next year?" Xiao Siqi asked.

Yes. You grow a little bit every day.

"By the time I grow up, Dad will be old."

Lin Zhiyuan paused for a moment, then smiled: "Dad isn't afraid of getting old. Dad is afraid you won't grow up."

Xiao Siqi didn't understand, but she smiled. When she smiled, she revealed a tooth missing a front tooth, which was so cute that you wanted to take a bite.

Someone was setting off fireworks outside the window. With a bang, a golden flower exploded in the air.